DV 2024 Lottery Coming SOON!
We are about a month from the next Diversity Visa Lottery. It’s the Lottery for Fiscal Year 2024. As usual, it’s expected to begin early October and run till early November – 2022.
The instructions for the Lottery will be published during the second half of this month (September). That is when we will know the list of eligible countries as well as all the rules that govern the Divrsity Visa Program. Much change is not expected on the list as many countries have maintained their levels of emigration to the United States during the years for which the most-recent statistics are available.
There’s a major difference between last year’s Lottery and the upcoming one. It concerns the Passport procedure. For the past few years, including last year, entrants to the Diversity Visa Lottery were required to be in possession of a valid passport. Earlier this year however, that requirement was removed from the Lottery by a U.S. District judge, making it possible to enter the Lottery this time around without a valid passport.
This reality will result in a steep increase in the number of entries submitted as the major factor that prevented most people from participating has been removed. It will also increase the number of fraudulent entries submitted this year. In the absence of a passport, fraudsters will have the freedom to use people’s personal information without the consent of those concerned.
Prior to the introduction of the Passport procedure, entries submitted were as many as. But that number was almost halved during the last few years. But it’s now going to return to high levels with the current situation.
The results of the upcoming Lottery will be released in May 2023. And successful entrants (referred to as selectees) will be considered for further processing (i.e. officially apply for a Diversity Visa) during Fiscal Year 2024.
To qualify to participate in the upcoming Lottery, you must have completed secondary schools or may have a certain number of years of work experience in a discipline identified by the United States State Department. Entrants are also required to enter the Lottery along with all eligible existing family members.
Failure to adhere to the above and other rules to be specified in this year’s instructions will lead to disqualification after being selected – in case the violation is discovered.
As we get closer to the 2024 Lottery, this is the appropriate time to acquaint oneself with the rules in order to fully apply them when the Entry period “window” opens in a few weeks’ time.
Good luck to all who plan to enter the DV 2024 Lottery!
